A St Albans-based health trust has emerged from a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection with a ‘good’ rating.

The Herts Partnership Foundation Trust (HPFT), which runs mental health and learning disabilities services and is based in Waverley Road, was inspected earlier this year as part of a programme of CQC inspections of facilities providing health care.

Among the comments in the report was that staff were ‘caring, respectful and protected patients’ dignity, senior management and team leaders provided visible leadership and the trust’s vision and values were visible.

Several areas were singled out as requiring improvement including the management of medicines, baseline staffing levels and some environment safety concerns.

Ninety CQC staff carried out the inspection at 11 core services including those at the Kingsley Green site at Radlett, long stay/rehabilitation mental health wards for adults at St Albans City Hospital and community services for adults, people with learning disabilities or autism and older people.

They held 11 focus groups to get feedback from patients, family members and carers, and interviewed nearly 270 members of staff.

HPFT chief executive Tom Cahill said: “We’re proud to be one of a handful of mental health and learning disability trusts that have received a ‘good’ rating across England.

“The report provides a clear endorsement of our hardworking and dedicated staff as, in the CQC’s own words, ‘staff told us they were proud of the job they did and felt well supported in their roles.”

He added: “This moves us closer to the realisation of our vision to be a leading provider of mental health and specialist learning disability services in the country - providing excellent care at the heart of the community.”